Delores McLaughlin has a longstanding record with Plan International working on social and economic development. She joined in 1994 to establish a global initiative working with Country Offices and partner organisations to establish sustainable programmes offering financial services for (primarily) poor women.

Ms. McLaughlin led the development of Plan International’s Economic Security Strategy: Promoting the Economic Rights of Children and Young People (2010-2015) which promotes economic empowerment for children and young people. The ‘youth bulge’ and rising trend of youth unemployment  led her to establish a partnership with the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Youth Investment (GPYI) and work with local offices to develop and pilot Plan International’s framework for Youth Economic Empowerment (YEE).

Delores continues to promote the rights of children and young people to be economically secure and empowered. At the international level she began working with the World Bank, Accenture and others in 2012 to establish the Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE), a global coalition to increase youth employment that was launched in October 2014.

Before joining Plan International Ms. McLaughlin worked for the Maine (US) Department of Labor (DOL) on employment and training policy and administration. She earned an advanced degree in International Management and during her career has served on various professional groups and networks with a focus on economic development and poverty reduction.